Sugarman Estate~ Maui Wedding

I would like to share a little excerpt I wrote this morning in my journal about the wonderful wedding of Maya and Paul that I shot at the Sugarman Estate in Makena South Maui:

~~~When I entered the house there was a sense of quiet mahem and general chaos everywhere….

the catering staff was cramming all the tables for the 60 guests into a tiny covered porch area….

When I stepped into the room where Maya the bride was getting ready, she was in tears and looking quite sad because it was raining and the skies dark and cloudy with no blue sky to be seen…I began to take pictures of Maya putting on her make up in the mirror but in each photo she looked so sad…and she was applying her make up over and over again which only got streaked by a tiny river of tears falling from each eye.

When the right moment arose, I stopped photographing and asked Maya if I could give her a hug. I gently told her that as soon as I noticed the dark clouds and could smell the rain that day, I began praying all afternoon for a circle of blue sky to open up right above the wedding ceremony and for stars the to be shining above us at night…she softly smiled for the very first time since I arrived but the smile dissolved from her eyes back into a look of doom and gloom and sadness like the dark clouds outside.

Right after I told Maya about my”prayer” I quietly excused myself for a few minutes and ran in the rain as fast as I could to the little pavilion that the wedding was to take place in. I took a deep breath and lifted some prayers and Hawaiian chants to our Creator (whom the Hawaiians call Keakua) to please open up the sky for this beautiful couple who have such beautiful hearts.

“Please Keakua if it is your will then please let this beautiful couple have clear skies for their wedding day…yes… I know that rain is your way of sending a blessing, but please let a circle of blue sky open up to reveal your golden sun and beautiful stars this evening….and as you well know, the bride is really really very upset because of this rain and dark skies, I ask that you please clear the skies for her so she can have a happy wedding day”

After my prayers and chanting, I quickly ran back through the rain to the bride’s room to continue photographing the bride…and then ran back and forth between the bride and grrom to photograph the groom his son and his groomsmen… about 15 minutes later after my prayers in the pavillion, much to my joy the rain slowed to a light drizzle and a blue streak of sky opened above Kohoolave!

The wedding was standing room only in a tiny pavillion and was actually quite sweet, but I had to crawl on my knees between people who kindly let me through so I could get the perfect shots.

By the time the wedding ended, …a huge circle of blue sky opened above us and we had the beautiful gold ball of sun break out through the clouds as it set over Kohoolave.

And the circle of clear sky began to reveal the stars shining overhead so the rather weary staff cheerfully moved all the tables outside, and the dj set up his station and a slick dance floor. A great time was had by all with the wedding dinner under golden lanterns under the open sky followed by the cake cutting and some great celebratory dancing…families of the bride and groom mixing together and dancing from anything fantastic Persian styled music…as the brides family were Persian, to We Are Family disco… I got some great shots of the groom’s Mom dancing with the bride’s 80 year old grandfather, who was wildly waving a napkin in the air over his head as he danced.

I in no means can take full credit for that mini miracle…I’m sure many of the wedding party were also praying their heads off as well.~~~

Look for a gallery of photographs from Maya and Paul’s wedding to be posted in the next few days!